ADUFA Awaits President’s Signature

By P. Scott Shearer, Bockorny Group, Washington, DC

Mon, 2013-06-10 16:41

In a strong bipartisan effort, Congress reauthorized the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA), which has been sent to President Obama for his signature. This legislation (S. 622) allows the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees from animal health companies for the review of animal medicines.

The additional resources have allowed FDA to meet performance goals that make the review of products more efficient while maintaining strict safety standards. The legislation does not include any restrictions on the use of antibiotics in food-animal production and does not require reporting of on-farm uses of animal health products as had been advocated by various groups and congressional members.

The Animal Health Institute (AHI) said, “Animal medicines play an important role in public health by providing veterinarians, pet owners and livestock producers with the tools needed to keep animals healthy. Reauthorization of ADUFA helps ensure continued access to innovative medicines that allow our pets to live longer, healthier lives and contribute to food safety by keeping food animals healthy.” ADUFA was first authorized in 2003.